Rustenburg - Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed concerns that the governing party was headed for a split.
He delivered a lecture in honour of former South African Communist Party leader Moses Kotane in Rustenburg on Sunday.
The Ben Marius Hall was packed to capacity with SACP and ANC supporters singing pro-Ramaphosa songs.
Ramaphosa said he told ratings agency Moody's last week: "We are not going to allow the ANC to split."
He said he met with the agency on Friday. Moody's is the only agency which has not downgraded South Africa to junk status, something which Fitch and Standard & Poor did shortly after President Jacob Zuma's controversial midnight cabinet reshuffle which saw the sacking of finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.
"Moody's said to me the signs that we are looking at now is that they think ANC is going to split," said Ramaphosa.
He assured them that a split in the 105-year-old liberation was not a possibility when the party chooses new leadership.
Ramaphosa is in a tight race with former African Union Commission Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to replace the incumbent, who is also Dlamini-Zuma's former spouse.
The ANC holds its 54th national elective conference in December, where President Zuma is expected to step down.
"I said the ANC will not split because it has the responsibility to unite the people of our country and the ANC itself has its own responsibility of staying united," said Ramaphosa.
The ANC has the responsibility to give hope to our people, he said.
